In the prior art, restaurants touting various themes have proliferated. Examples include HARD ROCK CAFE, PLANET HOLLYWOOD, RAINFOREST CAFE, DAVE & BUSTERS, ESPN GRILL and the like.
Other ventures have combined Internet access with food, e.g., CYBERSMITH, an Internet cafe chain serving coffee and light fare.
Still others employ gaming such as DAVE & BUSTER'S and SEGA GAMEWORKS, i.e., electronic gaming in a quasi-nightclub environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,248 to Allen et al. discloses the concept of video-conferencing whereby participants at one or more remote stations may be imaged and displayed in a video mirror at the station so that they appear to be present or face-to-face with any participants at the station.
None of the prior art noted above teaches or suggests the instant invention wherein a number of booths in a number of restaurants are equipped for multi-media access so that the restaurant can provides restaurant services in combination with video-conferencing, and other multi-media access. The invention permits revenue generation beyond the conventional restaurant revenue sources of food, retail merchandise, and liquor during three eating time periods per day.